Ercüment Kalmık (1909 in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

– February 21, 1971 in Istanbul) was an artist and art historian, known for his work in studying the lyrical-abstract

Turkish painters The history of modern Turkish painting can be traced back to the modernization efforts in the Ottoman Empire during the Tanzimat period, in the 19th century. This article contains a brief history of Turkish painters and art movements from the mi ...

. After completing high school at the Galata Scottish Mission, Kalmik studied in the Department of Painting at the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

from 1929 and worked in the ateliers of Nazmi Ziya and Ibrahim Calli. While still a student he also worked at the ''Cumhuriyet'' newspaper. Between 1933 and 1935 he completed his military service. He graduated from the Academy in 1937 and in 1939 went to Paris to study painting in André Lhote's studio while also taking some courses in art history at the Sorbonne University. After returning to

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

in 1940 he taught at various high schools in Ankara and Istanbul (1942–47). He returned to the army in 1941 and completed his service in 1942. In 1947 he began to teach composition in the Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture. In 1954 he visited Italy. In 1962 he took part in the Sao Paulo Bienale. Then between 1967 and 68 he was a guest lecturer in basic design at

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin; also known as Berlin Institute of Technology and Technical University of Berlin, although officially the name should not be translated) is a public university, public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It was the first ...

. Originally influenced by Impressionism, Kalmık later became interested in European Cubism and was influenced by Braque,

Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

and

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

. After returning to Turkey he maintained an interest in figurative abstraction and developed a strong sense of pattern. During the 1960s many of his works featured fishermen and boats in front of abstract landscapes. Kalmik is known for his etchings as well as his prints. He also produced some public mosaics, including the fine one on a wall in 4.Levent, Istanbul. Kalmik participated in many group and solo exhibitions both domestically and abroad. Some of his works are on display in the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum as well as in the Ankara Paintinga nd Sculpture Museum and in private collections. Istanbul Technical University published his two books, "Systems of Colour Harmony" and "Textures in Nature and Art" in the 1950s. In 1997 his wife, Ayşe Kalmik, converted their Art Nouveau-style wooden house in Gümüşsuyu in Istanbul into a museum now run by the Ercüment Kalmık Foundation.

References

1909 births 1971 deaths 20th-century Turkish painters {{Turkey-painter-stub